This invention relates in general to electrical interconnection devices and more particularly to a device for providing electrical connections between planer circuits such as thick/thin film hybrid circuits and printed wiring cards.
Typically, electrical connections to thick/thin film hybrid circuits are made through wires or terminal devices. These terminal devices are soldered onto a hybrid circuits edge with an opposite end plugged into a socket or more likely, into holes in a printed wiring card (PWC). When inserted into PWC hole, the connections are soldered to insure good mechanical and electrical connections. This method finds disadvantage in that the replacement of defective hybrid circuits is obviously difficult and sometimes damaging to the entire PWC assembly.
Still another method of making such interconnections is the use of sockets on the PWC which accept hybrid terminal devices as a plug in module. This method also finds disadvantage in that it adds significantly to the cost of the assembly. Further, the hybrid terminals are usually not designed as pluggable contacts and can become damaged through careless insertion. Finally, the possibility exists that the socket receptacles on the PWC can become damaged making the entire PWC assembly unusable.
It has become increasingly popular in the industry in recent years to use squae or rectangular metallic posts as an interconnection member. Such posts are pressed into holes in a PWC, with the electrical connection between the posts and the PWC made by either intimate contact or with the aid of a solder connection. Various means can be used to interconnect one PWC to another or a PWC to a thick/thin film hybrid circuit. There interconnection means can range from the use of receptacles made for this purpose or the use of wire wrapping.
Presently known receptacles require one or more holes in the substrate for attachment. This finds disadvantage however in thick/thin film hybrids since they are usually made out of a ceramic substrate and usually are economically impractical to include holes.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide a circuit terminating device for interconnecting planer circuits such as thick/thin film hybrid circuits to a PWC in an effective and economical manner.